indicator Archives - Wolf Creek Angler

An Epic Spring Season Rolls On

We are in the midst of what has been one of the best spring seasons on the MO in years.

Dry fly fishing has been exceptionally good since mid-February with consistent midge action daily and plenty of BWO’s around these last few weeks. Rumor has it March Browns are also now in the mix, albeit sporadically.

Nymphing has been reliably good more days than not with the usual suspects performing as you’d expect. Sows, scuds, assorted baetis nymphs and even some worm action in the mudline for a day or two following runoff bumps on the Little Prickly Pear and Dearborn.

The streamer action has been good with swingers and strippers both proclaiming plenty of success and the big browns are on the prowl as evidenced by a plethora of above average size browns making an appearance on social media as of late.

She truly seems to be firing on all cylinders this season and of course this is the year my ability to fish has been drastically curtailed by various limiting circumstances of my own choosing.

And so this this year, which is perhaps the best spring season in WCA history, I am relegated to living vicariously through all of you and your fish stories. I’m missing my time on the water but this too shall pass and with any luck I’ll be back out there

In the meantime we’re loaded up at the shop with everything you need and more. We’re loving the new rods from Waterworks Lamson and we’re stocked up in all weights with plenty of options for reels at any price point. Come on in and take a Lamson Velocity and Cobalt rods for a test drive, we think you’ll love them and at $399 they won’t break the bank.

We’re also stocked up on your favorite Echo rods including Carbon XL, Trout, Indicator, Streamer X, Boost and Boost Blue which, like the Lamson Cobalt, is a salt offering that doubles as a phenomenal streamer stick.

Simms sun wear has arrived and we’re fully stocked with buffs, Fishpond Eddy River and Lowcountry sun hats, Simms flip flops, Smith and Suncloud eyewear and plenty of sunscreen and more. The weather doesn’t quite feel like it but summer is on the way.

As you’d expect we are the FIRST shop open with FREE coffee on at 7:30 AM daily. No need to wait until the others open, stop in for your shuttles and bugs, hit On The Fly Coffee next to the Canyon Store for breakfast burritos and be on the water before anyone is stirring in Craiglandia.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-05-10T16:44:08-06:00May 10th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Boost, Boost Blue, brown trout, Carbon XL, Cobalt, dry fly fishing, Echo, Fishpond, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, On The Fly Coffee, running line, simms, Streamer X, Velocity, Waterworks Lamson, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Quiet on the MO’ photo by Wolf Creek Angler

The cold snap which lingered over the holidays is but a memory now as we settle in to more seasonal conditions with daily high temps hanging right in that average, or slightly above average, 35 – 40 degree zone for the next while.

It’s been breezy more often than not as you would expect but the breeziness is much easier to contend with on a 40 degree day than a single digit day. While snowpack conditions are holding fairly steady in the high country the snow is all but gone here in Wolf Creek and on the Missouri. A bit of shelf ice hanging around here and there and the occasional chunks of ice falling off of the dam but wading conditions by winter standards, are actually optimal right now.

Flows are low and steady currently at 2840 CFS with water temps just shy of 34 degrees.

This is winter fishing at its best. Mild temps, low flows and hungry trout.

Hungry yes, aggressive….not so much. While there are no shortage of hungry fish, their primary concern right now is conserving energy. Winter is hard. Water temps are cold. It’s a whole different game from an angling perspective.

Sexy riffles and seams are not your winter targets. Holding in cold fast water requires energy the fish simply don’t have during the winter months.

Slow and deep….that’s where you’ll find them. And you’ll need to pick that water apart because they aren’t going to move much for a meal. Grid your water starting in close and working from the inside out. If you’ve covered the grid without success try going a little deeper and cover it again. Once you find one, you’ll generally find more in that same zone as they tend to stack up where favorable conditions prevail.

Bug selection is usually not the issue, it’s just a matter of putting the bugs in the right place.

A tungsten bead lead fly, usually along with a bb or two, will help you achieve your desired depth. Good options include Rainbow Czechs, Pink Amex, Caviar Scuds, Pill Poppers, Bubble Yum Scuds, Pink Weight Fly, Rainbow Weight Fly, Firebead Sows…you get the picture. Trail with a soft hackle sow, tailwater sow, Pederson’s sow, Pink Ray, Pink Lightning bug etc. and you should be in business.

Start with 5’ – 6’ from your indicator to your split and see what happens.

Or you could swing.

Or you could strip.

These methods tend to be less effective in cold water conditions but that’s not to say you won’t coax a few into breaking the rules. Nymphing is where the winter numbers are but you’ll still find plenty of folks swinging and a few even sticking to the single handed stripping game. Go DEEP and strip PAINFULLY SLOW…you might be surprised what you dredge up from the depths.

A high calorie target moving lethargically through the zone with plenty of pauses in between strips is often too great a temptation for our resident hogs to resist. It’s a low percentage method you might not want to commit your whole day to but I would. The largest brown trout I’ve caught on the Missouri was on a cold early January day. Dredged up from impossible depths.

It’s a great time to fish the MO and you can pretty much have it to yourself for at least another month.

We’re not quite ready to commit to published daily hours but we’re working in that direction and as it stands now we’re here more often than not at 8:30 AM with the definite exception of Sundays.

Open for lodging and guide trips EVERY DAY. Call, email or direct message us on Facebook and we’ll respond promptly.

By Jason Orzechowski|2022-01-13T12:53:09-07:00January 13th, 2022|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: brown trout, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, Montana, running line, Streamer Fishing, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

The weather we’ve been waiting for

Wind, snow, rain….we’ve had it all this weekend and some pretty damn good fishing to go along with it.

The forecast for 40 mph North winds on Saturday scared some people off. In fact we bought in and moved a couple of guide trips to Sunday. By most reports it really wasn’t that bad out there on Saturday. Things were calm in Wolf Creek and I think a little breezy on the water but nothing like what they had been calling for.

It sounds like those who stuck it out were rewarded with a solid afternoon both on top and below.

Streamers were effective yesterday as we anticipated they would be with Sculpin Sparkle Minnows and Polar Leeches in silver and Olive/Copper getting the most action. We’ve been selling a few folks on running the double streamer rig and it’s been working well. Try the Sparkle Minnow in tandem with a polar leech or Pine Squirrel leech. Hit the shelves and drop-offs, bomb the banks, work the buckets. Lots of water out there holding lots of fish and unfortunately holding a lot of weeds as well. It can be frustrating but if you stick with it and acclimate you may very well hook into a giant.

New to the streamer game? Come by the shop and grab a demo St Croix Bank Robber, quite possibly the best streamer stick ever made.

As per usual nymphing is where the numbers are. Weight flies, Tung Darts or Czechs paired with your favorite baetis nymphs or a black zebra should do the trick. Stop by the shop on your way to the river and allow us to get you set up for your day on the MO. Got questions about rigging? Don’t be afraid to ask – we spend hours every day building and explaining how to build Missouri River rigs, it’s what we’re here for.

Even the DFO’s have been happy this weekend with some big time pseudo action. We’ve got plenty of pseudos and BWO’s to choose from on the dry side of the bin and we encourage you to try each and every one of them but should you choose to keep it simple a Parachute Adams trailed with a CDC Caddis emerger is hard to beat.

It looks like the sunshine will return this week with daytime highs in the 50’s and 60’s and while sunny days may not be exactly what we would like it is going to be a gorgeous autumn week on the Missouri and a busy one at that. No lodging vacancies at WCA for the week ahead but we do still have guides available daily and we’d be happy to help you find lodging close by so give us a call and book your Missouri River fall fly fishing extravaganza today.

The shop is open daily at 7 AM with everything you need for your day on the water. Shuttles; boats; bugs; indicators galore (1/2″ and 3/4″ Air Locks back in stock Monday); cold weather gear from KAST, Outdoor Research and Redington; leaders; lines; and tippet from Rio, Airflo and Trout Hunter; rods from Echo and St Croix including the Bank Robber and High Stick Drifter; great deals on reels from Nautilus and Ross and much much more.

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By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:45-06:00October 4th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: Air Lock Indicator, Bank Robber, dry fly fishing, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, Redington, RIO, running line, St Croix, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

Big Fish – Small Bug, Zebra Midge days on the MO. Photo by Rudy Malmquist

Fishing is heating up as we settle into our post-summer routine here on the Missouri.

Cooler temperatures this week and good reports from all stretches including some near-epic nymphing days from the dam down and some good dry-fly action river wide.

There are still tricos to be found in the upper stretches, depending on the day and while it’s definitely worth your time to target those fish keying on the trico spinners make sure to bring your A game. These fish have seen it all this season and they won’t tolerate any angler error.

The more forgiving option on top is definitely the terrestrial route. More-or-less and Moorish hoppers in tan or pink, chubbys in purple, tan or gold, sparkle ants, parachute ants and the occasional beetle have all been getting some attention. Try trailing a hopper with an ant or beetle and see what happens. The terrestrial rigs have been a little slow the past couple of days but we’re getting plenty of eats on nymph droppers. Some prefer to stick with the indicator rig, figuring two nymphs are better than one but we would much rather watch a hopper than a bobber even when the fish are completely ignoring the hoppers. You just never know when you might put that hopper over that 2′ brown and get the eat. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Go-to nymphs for us this week have been black zebras, Rainbow Czechs, Tung Darts, Weight Flies, Peep Shows, 2 Bit Hookers in red, Rainbow Warriors, PT’s, LGM’s, Red Headed Step Child, Claws R Cray, Snapping Cray, Chocolate or Olive WD40’s and various other mayfly nymphs.

September can also be a great month for streamers on the Missouri. Cooler days and overcast skies are the ticket…..bring on the streamer weather! Circus Peanuts, Sparkle Minnows, Polar Leeches, Pine Squirrel Leeches and various buggers should all be a part of your Missouri River streamer arsenal. Stop by the shop and stock up and while you’re at it why not take a St Croix Bank Robber out for a test drive. We’d love to get you set up with everything you need for fall streamer fishing.

Lodging is filling quickly for the next six weeks of autumn awesomeness and our guides are starting to get busy again so don’t miss out on one of our favorite times of the year on the MO.

Long nights, cool mornings, the smell of autumn in the air….Montana fall Fly Fishing at its finest!

Shop open daily at 6:30 AM (earlier than ALL THE REST) for all of your Missouri River fly fishing needs. Shuttles, bugs, bobbers, lines, leaders, gloves, hats, sun protection, waders, boots and much more including coffee on the house and the most laid-back and friendly atmosphere you’ll find in any shop anywhere.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:15:46-06:00September 9th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, nymphs, Two Bit Hooker, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler, zebra midges|0 Comments

Strike Foundry Indicators

We started carrying Strike Foundry In-Line Suspender indicators at Wolf Creek Angler about a month ago and I finally got around to trying them out last week. These indicators showed up on the Missouri last summer when creator Marko Baxter was out here shooting video of his product at work on the MO.
I will admit that what drew us to the product in the first place was the name of the company. Having spent my past life in the metal casting business in an iron foundry I was all over the name STRIKE FOUNDRY and couldn’t wait to hear where the name came from . It turns out Marko’s grandfather was a blacksmith hence the connection. From the Strike Foundry web site “Strike Foundry has been forged from family influences in my beginnings, my recent friendships and their expertise, as well as from my constant drive to unlock the puzzles presented from below ever-changing waters.”

So the name is awesome – how about the product? I fished the standard indi which can be rigged in three different ways, either in-line, looped around or right angle rigged. I opted for the loop around (thingamabobber style) rigging as I was changing depths quite a bit. The indicator reminded me of the Thill bobbers we used to use for steelhead nymphing back in Michigan. Like the Thills they are stealthy,extremely sensitive, easy to cast, easy to read and unlike the Thills, you don’t need a stick or a toothpick or a rubber band or any such nonsense to rig your indicator.
You would run your line through the thill and then either stop it with the small wooden spike which came with it or find a stick on the ground to use once you lost the spike. The method we adopted was to cut a rubber band and run it through the thill after running your line through the thill. The rubber band would lock the indicator where you wanted it and it could be moved up and down the leader to change depths…no sticks required. The Strike Foundry Indi is better yet…absolutely no tools or accessories required.
I love the sensitivity of this indicator, especially this time of year when the takes can be very subtle. I had more than a couple of strikes I don’t think I would have necessarily picked up on with the standard thingamabobber. The techy nymphers will love it for it’s versatility and from what I hear the preferred rigging method amongst said techies is the right angle rigging.

In-Line Rigging

Loop Around Rigging

Right-Angle Rigging

We are selling both the standard 3/4″ indicator and the Lil’ Nugget 1/4″ indicators which I think will be great come summer for short leash applications. Check them out at http://strikefoundry.com/ and then stop by Wolf Creek Angler on your way to the Missouri and pick a couple up.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 26th, 2015|Categories: Product Review|Tags: indicator, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, Strike Foundry, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Presidents Day Solo Mission on the MO – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

We were expecting things to be at least a little busy yesterday with the holiday and the near perfect weather conditions on the Missouri but apparently Presidents Day is not a big fishing day. With mostly cloudy skies and temps hanging in the mid 30’s and no wind to speak of I opted to fish in the afternoon and had an outrageously good couple of hours floating Wolf Creek to Craig with not another boat to be seen. A couple of wade anglers and a couple of pontoons – that was it – essentially the whole thing to myself with plenty of fish willing to play.
I chose two spots to nymph – one at the beginning of the float and one at the end, and spent the rest of the day exploring the slow banks and side channels looking for heads as I had not yet fished dries this year. I managed to stumble into a couple of different pods of feeding fish and while my first fish of 2015 on a dry-fly eluded me, I did have my first dry-fly refusals of 2015 and I was just thrilled to be out there throwing the 5 weight again to rising fish. The midges covered the water much of the day and the fish I found eating them were predictably in the slow spooky side channel waters. It was a great time and I’m looking forward to spending more time doing this in the weeks to come as it’s a major part of the winter fishing experience on the Missouri which I have, for the most part, overlooked.
On the nymphing side both spots I fished produced a lot of fish – many to hand and probably just as many missed. Nothing new here – Pinkalicious trailed with a firebead soft hackle sow bug. I fished the pink sow at the first spot until it was destroyed and having no more switched to the grey for the remainder of the day and did just as well. Only one fish on the Pinkalicious so I would highly recommend going with at least one firebead soft hackle sow. Fish the sloooow deep water and hit any movement of the indicator. Some aggressive takes but mostly on the subtle side. Overall a tremendous day on the water.
It looks like a couple of nice days ahead and then a little colder with a chance for some snow over the weekend but not so cold or so snowy that you shouldn’t be fishing. We are closed today but will be back in the shop tomorrow for the remainder of the week. Lodging has started to fill for the weekend but we do still have some vacancies so book your room now and make Wolf Creek your weekend destination.

Plenty of these and not a soul to be seen – photo by Wolf Creek Angler

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:00-06:00February 17th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: dry fly fishing, fly fishing, indicator, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, running line, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

February fishing on the Missouri River

Spring-like weather continues here in Wolf Creek and with it some very good days on the water. We haven’t heard any reports this week of off-the-charts numbers but there is plenty of action to be had, certainly by early February standards.
Reports we’ve heard from the dam to Wolf Creek have not been great and many are opting for the Wolf Creek to Craig stretch and below. I spent a couple of hours wading the Bull Pasture to dam section on Monday and picked up a few fish in the dead slow frog water but it was on the slow side. The usual spots between Wolf Creek and Craig are holding plenty of fish and from what we’ve experienced things seem to improve in the late afternoon/early evening.
The water temp ticked up a couple of degrees over the last two days and is holding close to 36 with flows holding right around 4900. The warmer water coupled with partly cloudy skies and a chance of rain today has us thinking Streamers but the nymphing should be strong as well.
Go to’s have been the pink lightning bugs and firebead soft hackle sows with the lightning bugs seeming to work better earlier in the day. Pair either with a Casne’s Pinkalicious, fish 5 or 6 feet from your indicator to your split and work those spots you know the fish are holding in. Grid your water out starting in close and working your way out until you’ve covered what you can reach – adjust your rig accordingly and do it again. Wondering where those usual spots are? A drive from Wolf Creek Bridge to Craig will usually give you a pretty good indication based on traffic but if there is no traffic and you haven’t spent much time on the Missouri we highly recommend hiring us to guide you. It’s a terrific investment if you plan on making fishing the Missouri a habit, especially at our $395/full day winter rate. If you are new to the area, just getting into fly fishing or just haven’t spent much time on the Missouri a day on the water with one of our expert guides is a great way to get dialed in. It could take weeks, months or even years of fishing on your own to gain the experience and knowledge you’ll get from a day on the water with one of our guides. Interested? Call 800-800-4350 and book your trip today.

50’s through the weekend, 40’s next week with a chance of rain most days. Tomorrow looks great with highs in the mid 50’s and plenty of sunshine. The winds will blow most days but at this point it looks tolerable with teens and low 20’s and some stronger gusts. Lodging is filling quickly for the next two weeks but we do have a few vacancies remaining.

Hot February Nymphs
Top to bottom; Pinkalicious, Firebead Soft Hackle Sow Bug Grey, Firebead Tungsten Sow Pink, Pink Lightning Bug. All available at Wolf Creek Angler. photo by Wolf Creek Angler

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:01-06:00February 5th, 2015|Categories: Fishing Report|Tags: Casne's Pinkalicious, fly fishing, Holter Dam, indicator, Missouri River, Missouri River Winter Fishing, nymphs, running line, Streamer Fishing, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|1 Comment

The Christmas Season has arrived. Shop Wolf Creek Angler for all the fly fishers on your list.

Another month in the books as we approach the end of 2014. November dragged on a bit with some extreme cold spells which kept folks off the river but which kept us busy trying to keep the water flowing at Wolf Creek Angler.

The break in the action gave us time to get out and do some non-fishing related things as well. I was happy to shoot a mule deer early in the month and even happier that Fred was still here at that time to come out and help me drag it! I attended my first “Brawl of the Wild” in Missoula a couple of weekends back and had a great time watching the Griz beat up on the Cats and was back there last weekend to watch Montana roll to victory in the first round of the FCS playoffs. Fun stuff!

The BWO’s we thought might show up in November didn’t but the nymphing certainly had its moments and the streamer bite was respectable depending on the day. I was only on the water a handful of days in November doing a couple of guide days and one or two days on my own. For the most part I was pretty content to enjoy the view of the river from the comfort of my warm vehicle as I drove the corridor taking pictures of winter’s beauty. It’s looking like another warm up towards the end of this week so I will make it a point to get out there and get you a first hand report of what’s happening. Judging by the bugs we’ve been selling the winter game is on. Pink is in and with the water temps now down in the 38 degree range it’s time to start working the slow deep runs and getting your bugs down to the fish. The colder that water gets the less likely the fish are to move so it is critical to put the bugs right in front of them and to check every slight stop/drop of the indicator as the strikes tend to get pretty subtle this time of year.

Thank you to everyone who came out for our Black Friday Sale. We will continue to have great deals on all kinds of gear through Christmas Eve. Sonic Pro Waders from Redington, St Croix Bank Robber and High Stick Drifter rods, cold-weather gear from Outdoor Research, Fishpond Nomad boat nets, awesome WCA SIMMS logo gear, all kinds of tools and accessories and of course, the largest fly selection ever assembled under one roof in Wolf Creek Montana. We’ve got something for all of the fishy folks on your list.

Wolf Creek Angler Gift Cards are available in any amount, are re-loadable and can be used on EVERYTHING.

Can’t decide what to buy them – how about a Wolf Creek Angler gift card good for anything from merchandise to shuttles to lodging to rentals to guide trips. Our cards are available in any amount and are re-loadable. Now through Christmas Eve purchase a gift card in the amount of $100 or more and receive a second $10 gift card for yourself.

We have a couple of vacancies for the weekend warm-up so give us a call at the shop today to book your room. We are open Wednesday-Saturday 8:00 AM – 4 PM and will usually be found here any day other than Sunday that the temperature is over 30 degrees. Likewise, we might not be found here any day the temperature is below zero. Call ahead just to make sure. (406)235-4350. Don’t forget winter lodging rates of $99/night and $395 guide trips while the snow flies.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:03-06:00December 1st, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Uncategorized|Tags: Christmas, indicator, Missouri River, running line, St Croix, Streamer Fishing, streamers, winter, Wolf Creek, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Fall nymphing on the Missouri River – photo by Wolf Creek Angler, LLC

Guest Blog by Wolf Creek Angler guide Jim Murray

It’s not just the golden rule of real estate, but of nymph fishing the Missouri as well.

There’s a lot of fish in the Mighty Mo, and those fish like to eat (shocking I know). Luckily for all those fish, the Missouri ecosystem produces A TON of food for them to eat. And while this is great for the fish, it can sometimes be less than ideal for the fisherman. Let me explain.

This great amount of food (insects, worms, crustaceans, etc.) flows through the river constantly, giving these fish a buffet table of food to choose from. As a result, these fish don’t have to travel very far to get a bite to eat. What this means for the fisherman, is that this river fishes very differently from many of our great freestone rivers in this state. Fish in small streams, and even some of the larger freestone rivers are very opportunistic feeders. They will move, sometimes even a few feet, to eat a morsel of food that they see pass through their window of opportunity to get a bite and fill their stomach. The residents of the Missouri do not need to do this. They tend to stay in their prime feeding lies, rarely moving unless forced out. As a result, they will not travel far to eat your fly. They don’t have to.

When fly fisherman, myself included, start struggling to get a lot of eats on the river, the first instinct is often to change the fly. Micro May not working? Let’s try a Green Machine. Size18 not working? Let’s go to a 20. Worm? Sow? What are they eating?!?

More often than not, it’s not the fly, but the location of the fly. The next time you aren’t catching the amount of fish you feel that you should, change the location. This means both depth and range. If you are fishing deep, shorten it up. Already short? Go deep. Add some weight. Take some off. One of my good friends, and probably the best nymph fisherman I know, Bob Glassen, states that he “changes depth constantly”. He’s not satisfied until he’s found out where they are in the water column. Also, if you float through a good run that you are sure is holding fish, don’t be afraid to go back up, move over 3 or 4 feet and run it again. You will often be surprised by the results. A few feet on this river can be the difference between a great day in the boat and a slow or average one.

This isn’t to say that fly choice doesn’t matter at all, but It’s been my experience that if you put the fly in front of the fish, they will eat it. So the next time you aren’t getting into them like you should, remember the old real estate adage, Location, Location, Location, and adjust accordingly. You’ll be happy you did!

Give us a call at (406)235-4350 and book a trip with Wolf Creek Angler today.

By Jason Orzechowski|2016-10-25T16:16:06-06:00October 27th, 2014|Categories: Fishing Report, Montana Fly Fishing|Tags: fly fishing, green machine, indicator, Missouri River, nymphs, running line, Wolf Creek Angler|0 Comments

Father and daughter Sam and Samantha had a great day on the Missouri. The right hat will always bring success on the Missouri!

Things have gotten a little quiet on and around the Missouri this week. Angling traffic is way down and we’ve certainly had busier days around the shop but the big news is that trico fishing continues to consistently produce in a BIG way, the hopper bite is starting to come on and will only improve from here on out and best of all, you can have vast stretches of water to yourself right now as the Peak Seasoners have in large part disappeared.

With few exceptions the dry fly action has been like clockwork. According to WCA lead guide Neale Streeks the trico fishing is the best it’s been in a decade and while the caddis game hasn’t really materialized we are having some of the best dry fly fishing of the season. Plenty of bugs and plenty of willing fish up have made for some spectacular mornings and while things tend to slow in the middle of the day there have been enough fish willing to eat a hopper to make a terrestrial afternoon a real option. There are even some of us making a day of the hopper game. A trailing ant or a nymph will keep things interesting. We’ve been having a lot of luck the last few times out with a #16 purple or gold weight fly below a purple or pink More or Less.

Hopper-Eater

Fred with an outstanding Missouri River Dry-Fly eating brown.

Nymphing in general has been a little slow as the weeds take hold and the fish continue to do their part to keep you guessing. Even the dam has had some tougher days as of late but again, the good news is you can ditch the bobber for a hopper and cut your weed cleaning time in half. If you decide to stick to chasing bobbers weight flies, flashback pt’s, black zebras, micro mays and peep shows have all been producing depending on the day.

Trico wise we’ve been doing very well with a #18 double wing trico and also with a #18 or #20 indicator spinner. Keep an assortment of caddis and pmd’s on hand as well as sometimes they aren’t overly interested in the tricos. We’ve got everything you need for dry fly success so stop by and let us get you dialed in.

Despite the solid fishing things are a little quiet around the lodge. It’s a good time to take a break and catch our breath after a crazy July but even so, we are more interested in taking care of customers than catching our breath so we are offering special rates of $99 on our cabins just for the month of August. It’s a great time to be here. Come fish the mornings and join the rec floaters with a leisurely float down the Missouri on the sunny and hot Montana afternoons.

Stop by the shop and see us for up to date fishing reports, shuttles, the best selection of bugs in Wolf Creek and all kinds of Wolf Creek Angler swag you can’t live without. We are fully stocked up on hats and shirts including a couple of great new t’s from Strip n’ Flywear and we’ve got Simms summer logo gear to move to make room for fall gear arriving soon.

The Competition…

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